During central nervous system development, extracellular matrix (ECM) receptors and their
ligands play key roles as guidance molecules, informing neurons where and when to send axonal
and dendritic projections, establish connections, and form synapses between pre- and
postsynaptic cells. Once stable synapses are formed, many ECM receptors transition in function
to control the maintenance of stable connections between neurons and regulate synaptic
plasticity. These receptors bind to and are activated by ECM ligands. In turn, ECM receptor
activation modulates downstream signaling cascades that control cytoskeletal dynamics and
synaptic activity to regulate neuronal structure and function and thereby impact animal behavior.
The activities of cell adhesion receptors that mediate interactions between pre- and postsynaptic
partners are also strongly influenced by ECM composition. This chapter highlights a
number of ECM receptors, their roles in the control of synapse structure and function, and the
impact of these receptors on synaptic plasticity and animal behavior.
